Judy Sadler

First sentence: In the field by Grandma's house, there are diggers at work. Grandma says the diggers dance. Diggers don't dance, I say. Do they? I run to the field and stand by the fence. The diggers are parked all in a row. It's too late. Maybe tomorrow.

Premise/plot: A little boy discovers that diggers dance. A little boy is super-happy that his grandma has diggers that are--temporarily at least--working/parked next door. (What a dream for a construction-loving kid!) But the 'tomorrow' of show more the story is rainy--very, very rainy. Will he ever get the chance to see the diggers dancing?

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. It is written in verses (though not rhyming). I love the story. I love the characters. I love both the baking scenes and the construction scenes. I love the expressiveness of the illustrations. show less

PreS-Gr 1–A boy and his grandmother (and their dog) pass the time while waiting for something important; the small blue hat Gran is knitting gives a clue as to what. Gran and the boy snack, nap, and even sing and dance, but they keep returning to their temporary default state of “sit and knit and wait.” The palette is largely monochrome with effective use of spot color to highlight important people or items, such as the soft teal of Gran’s shirt, red for the boy’s glasses frames show more and shirt, yellow for lights and some of the yarn. The long wait is rewarded when the parents return with baby in tow; after a first delighted peek, the new older brother runs to get the hat he and Gran made and put it on the baby’s head. VERDICT A perfect addition to the canon of books welcoming new siblings to the family, this is highly recommended. show less

Today, Gramma and Little Guy are reviewing Judy Ann Sadler's newest picture book - Nothing Happens in This Book.

We always start with 'What's the name of the book Gramma?' (And although we've talked about the word 'title', I much prefer the book having a 'name' as well.) We look at the cover and I ask him what he thinks might happen in the book. Well, when I say "Nothing Happens in This Book", he of course thinks I've made a mistake with the name and what might occur. After some back and show more forth, he 'gets' it and thinks this is an absolutely wonderful joke.

The front cover is eye catching with bold colours and a large font that has movement, for the title. The turned back page at the bottom corner invites the reader inside. And who could that little character be? (The title page inside is quite clever as well)

The initial pages are black with a hint of colour peeking through. A dialogue bubble engages the reader right away, asking a question. Subsequent pages introduce the little character who assures us that nothing is going to happen, but he also hints at what be on the next page. Well, of course Little Guy could not wait to see what was on the next page! Was it nothing? As items begin to appear on the pages, we began guessing as to what they might mean and who they could belong to. And wondered what might be at the end of the book?

There's a lovely large fold out page at the end that was unexpected and gives the reader the final answer about what is happening in this book.

Subsequent readings had us matching up the objects with who was going to need them and examining that last fold out page in greater detail. (We also found a little surprise on the back cover.) Spoiler - the end of the book brings us to a circus. The circus was not something Little Guy had been to or had knowledge of, so some discussion was needed to provide context. Some of the matches are not obvious - such as a dinosaur and the teddy bear.

Vigg's illustrations have a retro, fanciful feel to them, with a muted colour scheme that is easy on the eyes. Facial expressions can make or break a book for Little Guy. Vigg's illustrations are quirky, but Little Guy decided that the mouse (our narrator) was nice. Indeed, each character is smiling. (They are all very polite as well!)

The publisher has recommended this book for ages 4-7. Some words may need explanation such as contraption, marshall, unicycle and baton.

Nothing Happens in This Book brings the reader into the story, asking them to participate by 'talking' to them directly. This style of story telling really engages Little Guy. He was able to 'read' me the story after a few tellings by using the pictures. show less

Every so often, I have to make some hard decisions - what books to donate or giveaway- as my bookshelves can only hold so many. But the ones I don't 'cull' are the shelves with the children's books. And in fact, I add to it every so often. Yes, my kids are grown and gone - but one day I'll be a grandmother. I can't wait to read to and share books with someone small again.

Reaching by Judy Ann Sadler is a wonderful picture book that I've recently added to that bookcase.

Judy Ann Sadler's show more story is presented in rhyming couplets easily flow off the tongue. When I read them out loud, I found myself using a sing song cadence that would make it easy for a small one to remember and join in with on subsequent readings.

The story is perfect for a family experiencing the addition of a baby to their family. And it's one that can be read over and over to that new baby as he or she grows. I really like that Sadler included everyone from grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and pets in the story of Baby. And that all of them are reaching out.

The words themselves are not set straight in straight lines on the page, rather they're set in an arch, lending movement to the words. The rhymes are full of action words as well - hugs, kisses, tickling, dancing and of course reaching, that can be incorporated into an interactive reading of the book.

Susan Mitchell's illustrations are lovely. The colours are soft, warm and appealing. The faces of the characters are friendly and engaging. The backgrounds provide lots of other 'things to see' that children will recognize from their own lives.

I've just finished hiding Easter treats for my baby. And yes, he's in his twenties now. I'll watch as he easily reaches to find some in the high spots (he's six feet tall) and remember when I had to make sure they were all in low hiding spots where he could easily see them. And when he kisses me good-bye, he'll be the one reaching down.

Reaching is a beautiful picture book with a sweet story and charming pictures. It's one that will be waiting on my bookshelf..... show less